Community Resources

One of our goals is to serve as a reliable source of information about faith and social justice issues so that people of faith can be better informed, motivated and equipped to take action.

This section provides resources focused on the issues we are working on, as well as links to organizations we are working with. If you know of other resources that would be helpful to our collective work, please forward them to us at info@thechurchcouncil.org.

In each section below, please look for this icon to guide you to specific ways that you can participate to make a tangible difference.

Housing & Homelessness

Homelessness Working Group of The Church Council

The Church Council of Greater Seattle convenes a working group of networks addressing homelessness to share information, strategies, successes, and “wonderings,” and to provide advice about the Church Council’s work on homelessness. To be a part of this group, contact Michael Ramos. Email Michael or phone him at (206) 525-1213, ext 102.

Invite the Church Council for a ConversationThe Church Council is a recognized leader in working with congregations to address homelessness and affordable housing. Specific areas of expertise include working within congregations and with neighborhoods and governments regarding encampments, the continuum of care, and ways congregations can participate in addressing homelessness and affordable housing. Invite us for coffee, a forum, temple talk, or gathering. Contact Ann Erickson by email or phone; (206) 525-1213, ext 105.

Faith & Family Homelessness Project A project of Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry, this program provides high-quality leadership and support to local faith communities as they work in partnership to end the cycle of family homelessness. The signature offering is a Poverty Simulation Workshop.

All Home (formerly the Committee to End Homelessness) All Home is a community-wide partnership to make homelessness in King County rare, brief and one-time. All Home brings together local governments, religious institutions, non-profits, philanthropic organizations, shelter and housing providers, the private sector and engaged citizens in a coordinated effort that both responds to the immediate crisis of homeless individuals and addresses the root causes of the problem in our region. The organization has recently released a four-year Community Strategic Plan.

2-1-1 Community Resources This service is known in King County as the Crisis Clinic. It provides an online database of community resources; and a phone line of resources (in King County dial 2-1-1 from any landline, or 800-621-4636, M-F 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.)

Washington State 2-1-1 maintains a statewide online database, and links to a network of regional call centers, including King County’s 2-1-1 or Crisis Clinic linked above.

Reflection on Living Wage for All Banner Campaign A brief summary of the “Living Wage for All” Banner campaign. In June, 2014, 14 Seattle congregations lifted banners onto their houses of worship with the message, “Living Wage for All.” (PDF, 2014, 2 Pages)

Racism & Prejudice

People’s Institute Undoing Institutional Racism WorkshopsThe People’s Institute Undoing Racism Workshop is an intensive workshop designed to educate, challenge and empower people to “undo” the racist structures that hinder effective social change. The training is based on the premise that racism has been systematically erected and that it can be “undone” if people understand where it comes from, how it functions and why it is perpetuated. Workshops held in Seattle and Portland.

Lutheran Community Service’s Immigrant and Children’s Refugee ProgramLCS’s Immigrant and Children’s Refugee Program helps refugees and immigrants access resources and gain skills to successfully transition to their new communities, attain self-sufficiency and begin lives of new hope and promise. LCS seeks foster parents, respite caregivers, tutors, and people to rent rooms to a young adult transitioning from foster care to independence.

Letter regarding unaccompanied children from Central America A letter signed by many organizations and faith groups expressing opposition to the increased deportation efforts and the opening of new immigrant family detention centers as responses to the humanitarian situation involving unaccompanied children coming from Central America to the United States. (PDF, 2014, 6 Pages)

Ecumenism & Interfaith

Civil Dialogue: Moving From Discussion to Dialogue Description of the Conventional Discussion Process and the Understanding Process, as taken from Deborah Flick’s Debate to Dialogue. Used in the Standing Together series of Interfaith Dialogues. (PDF, 1 Page)

Litany of Gratitude, Lamentation and Hope A Litany written by Michael Ramos, Church Council of Greater Seattle, and Julie Burrell, First African Methodist Episcopal Church, Seattle, for the 29th Annual Inter-Spiritual Celebration of Gratitude at Thanksgiving. (PDF, 2015, 2 Pages)

A Citizen’s Guide to Effective Legislative ParticipationThis website, sponsored and maintained by the State of Washington, provides helpful information about the legislative process and how to be an effective citizen participant. It also provides helpful links for identifying and contacting legislators.

1987 Apology to the Tribes of the Northwest The 1987 Apology to the Tribes of the Northwest, organized by the Church Council President-Director Rev. Dr. William “Bill” Cate and signed by local religious leaders. (PDF, 1987, 1 Page)